As a regulated payments processing company, we are required to perform a number of know-your-customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) checks on all businesses and organisations using our service to collect payments from their clients.
First and foremost these checks are in place to keep ourselves, our customers, and those paying through GoCardless safe.
Please note : No funds can be released to a business or organisation using GoCardless to collect payments from their clients until all verification checks have been completed and requirements met. |
We aim to make this process as simple and unobtrusive as possible. In most cases, we are able to complete the checks using the information you enter into your online set up form. In some instances though, we will be required to ask for additional information and/or supporting documents to complete the checks. Please do bear with us if this is the case - we will do our best to ensure it’s as painless as possible!
If you need any assistance while completing the verification process, please first take a look at our online Setup Guides. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, or would like further clarification, please raise a ticket with our support team.
Before you begin…
1). Check we can serve your use case
Not all businesses or organisations are well suited to using bank debit as their payment collection method and so, in agreement with our banking partners, there are certain industries and/or business activities that we are unable to serve.
Please check our Restricted Activities to ensure your business does not fall within any of those listed. If you’re unsure, please get in touch so we can advise further.
2). Gather the information you’ll need
The exact information we require varies according to the entity type your business or organisation operates as. However, no matter your legal entity, we will always require you to verify :
- Company (organisation) details
- Personal details
- Bank account details
Part 1 : Entering your details online
The first step to getting verified is entering your details online. Go to manage.gocardless.com/onboarding to get started, or click here.
When completing the form, please take care to read the information provided, and be as accurate and descriptive as possible - it may take a little longer but will reduce the likelihood that we’ll need to follow up with additional questions later on.
Part 2 : Verifying your bank account
During the previous step, you will have been prompted to enter the details of the bank account you would like the funds you collect sent to.
Please note : In agreement with our banking partners, funds must be settled into a bank account registered in the name of the business or organisation we are collecting payments on behalf of. |
To complete the process, we need to confirm that you (or the organisation you’re acting on behalf of) are the owner of the account. We do this via a verification payment, where we ask that you transfer a minimum denomination payment from your account to ours, including a unique reference code as the payment description or reference.
The details of where to make the transfer, along with the reference to include, are provided to you within the online form and in an email sent to you upon submission of your details online.
Part 3 : Providing supporting information (if required)
If we are unable to complete your account verification with the information you enter into the online form, we will ask you to provide some supporting information and/or documentation to help us complete any outstanding checks. Our Account Verification team will reach out to you with information on what they require via email if this is the case.
The supporting information we ask for will differ from case-to-case. However, our most common requests are as follows :
Supporting information | Description |
Business description and/or use case | Further details of what your business does and what you will be using GoCardless to collect payments for |
Proof of identity | Confirmation of your (or the Director’s) identity. We will require a valid colour copy of the individual’s passport, drivers licence, or national identity card (where applicable). |
Proof of address | Confirmation of your (or the Director’s) residential address. We will require a recent copy (issued within past 6 months) of an official document such as a utility or phone bill, or vehicle registration. |
Proof of bank account ownership | Confirmation that your chosen payout bank account is registered in the name of the business that payments are being collected on behalf of. We will require a recent copy (issued within past 6 months) of a bank statement or online account. |
Please note that we do not allow the use of the same document to complete more than one check.
If you have any questions on the steps outlined above, please take a look at our verification FAQs here. For more detailed information on the steps involved throughout the process, please see our Setup Guides. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, our team are always on hand to provide assistance. You can raise a support ticket here. |